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The tale of Delhi, its river, its water and its excreta
Pollution will add to water stress. Cannot allow it. Have to build cities without pollution.
Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna Yamuna a dirty drain of Delhi (BOD levels)
We all live downstream: what we do to the river; others will do the same
Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna Funds spent, programmes implemented By 2006 17 sewage treatment plants built; 10 common effluent plants built; 30 km of trunk sewers repairs (out of 130 km) Slums removed from riverfront Low-cost toilets built
Money spent
Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna Not about pollution. It is about sewage
We discuss pollution because it is modern and somehow touchable. We do not discuss human excreta and its disposal. That is an untouchable subject. Flush and forget mindset. Drains will carry it. Somebody will treat it. Somebody will build sewage treatment plant. Clean it. Dispose it. Dont care. Yamuna is polluted not because of us
Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna Current system: bring water (from distance); treat, pump, pipe to home, take sewage, pump, pipe, treat and disposeriver will be clean Should work. But: a. It is capital intensive creates divide between the rich and poor in a city. The state can subsidise some but not all. Subsidises rich b. It is resource intensive uses water, creates waste. Adds to stress.
Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna Political transportation costs are high. Distribution costs high. Cannot be recovered. Subsidy to some. Water inequity in Delhi.
Water-waste connection
Arithmetic of excreta
The more water we use = the more waste we generate The more waste we generate = more money to collect, to convey, to treat and to dispose The more waste we do not treat = polluted water and increased burden of health costs
Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna Drainage exists; but does not work. Drainage does not exist; does not work Cannot transport waste to the sewage plant. Sewage plant cannot treat. 5,600 km of drains in city; 130 km of trunk sewers; in poor state. Then: Large parts of the city does not have officialunderground drainage system Large parts of the city lives in unauthorisedillegal colonies
But
But
Treated effluents from Yamuna Vihar discharged into drain Drain carries effluents of un-sewered colonies Treated and untreated effluent then picked up at Kondli Treated again Discharged into drain which carries effluents of unsewered colonies in Delhi and Noida. Are we surprised: River stays polluted
Cost of system is high. Cannot pay. Cannot subsidise all. Only rich.
This is the political economy of defecation. The rich use water. Are connected to sewage system. Waste is collected. Even treated. But they cannot pay for full costs.. The poor use little water. Not connected to sewage system. Waste flows in open drains. Not treated. But if system not designed for all. Not affordable by all. Will not work.
What do we do?
Think: of Yamuna in Delhi, not of Hudson in New York, not of Thames in London Think: of software not hardware All the STPs, all the interceptor drainswill not work. If we do not understand and rework the way we manage the business of water-sewage
Drain Najafgarh Drain + Supplement ary Drain Shahdara drain Drain near Sarita Vihar Bridge Maharani Bagh Drain Barapulla Drain Sen Nursing Home drain Total from six drains Rest of the drains
48 16 17 2 5 2 90 10
29 20 10 8 7 7 81 19